Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1887-04-21
OLD AND RARE BOOKS.
A FEW ERRONEOUS IDEAS WHICH Ex-
IsT CONCERNING THEIR VALUE.


The Comparative Worth Of an Old Book
Dependent on Imprint, Authorship,
Ownership, Edition and ConditiOn-A
List Of Rare Volumes
Not few erroneous ideas exist about the
value of old books. In order to correct some
of these misconceptions have concluded TO
take old books for my text | may dispei
some pleasant illusions, but II | do it is be-
cause can't help it, Allow me TO say IN the
first place that age is no criterion of value in
books. The mere date of printing does not
fix its value, though, Of course, any book in
fair condition bearing date earlier than 147O
is worth something merely on account of its
approach to the date of the invention Of
printing. On the other hand, there are books
as late in date as 1886 which are rare and
which are much desired by certain class Of
buyers. There is no rule for knowing the
comparative value of an old book, because it
may depend upor so many things such as
imprint, authorship, ownership, edition and
condition. A New York lady recently came
into the possession of q book which she sup
posed worth at least 5000. 1t was a fine
large folio. in excellent condition and $50
years old Imagine her disappointment when
the highest offer made'her Tor it was 50. Its
age, size and condition didn't count for any
thing. The book wasn't rare, and had no in
trinsic value.
aTHE MARTYR BOOK"
remainder the excitement which existed
some wears ago over SThe MARTYR Book
printed at Ephrata. In this state. in 1747-4s
IL was noised abroad as a valuable find and
exceedingiy rare. What followed then9
Why. no less than fifty copies Of It were un-
earthed among the farmers Of Lancaster
county alone. And what followed next A
dead. thud like fall in quotations from $40
20 $40 a COPY. The quantity deprecated the
oualitv: Il wasn't exceedingly rarz. after all
Il deserves fame. however. as the first large
book published in this state, and as an excel
lent nroduct of the pr-inters papermakers and
binders of that period. Almost as much zeal
Is shown In getting possession of old books
with the Germantown imprint upon them.
The first German books in the state were
printed there. Some are rare and high priced;
others are comparitively common.
There was scurrilous epitaph on a GCer-
tain Great Man" benjamin Franklin), printed
snonvmouslv In this CITY about 1763 II CON-
sisted Of but eight pages, and yet a copy Of IL
brought $50 at the Brinley book sale in New
York. There were only three copies known
20 be In existence. Mr.. D. Men. Stauffer,
editor of The New York Engineering News
one day picked ND a pamphlet out of the dirt
In the bottom of closet, and found himself
the possessor of one of the known three. You
see. II you are looking for rare and valuable
books. Il Is something to know which are rare
and why thew are valuable.
You are not ALWAYS sure even in buying a
rare bool, bv catalogue. clip the subioined
from a letter received by me TODAY: aThs
tCern,an Heraldrv, Is an example of the dan
rer of buying from foreign book catalogues
4 sent for the two volumes having n good
nrice for them There was no evidence on
fhe title that there were three volumes and IL
was onlv upon nloddinp through the Latin
text that I found reference Ia a third and
missing volume. attemnted to sell the
hooks es 7 shad received them 10 the German
library IN vour citv Tbere 7 met Professor
Oswald siedanstnci,er a very learned German
scholar who knavv ali about the hooks and
tha fact that the rare third volume, ALWAYS
turned mn missing, have the two volumes
vetp
EDITIONS OF sHAKEsPEARE.
Au,ong the rare boolrs are the first folio
conias of the early editions Of Shal,esneare
ca ,ss ", their co,,,n1erc;aI ,,alre can he sean
;n tha follovviro order NJ sale. In 175o car
,.;ci, hongbt a conv 1or e1 Ies in 1Toe on
othe,. COW bro,,gbt e4o los IN 1918 Caoro,a
C,yonviIle naid PIo1 fo,. a conv. in 1at7 tSe
H;bher+ conv sold for e155. IN 1874 anothor
conv hro,,Cbf eoS0 and in 1894 tbe Raronoss
Prrdatt Cor+s maid P71e D. for q conv
hone - tbiS win viii not not sst " WOW n n sIi,ni:b;na
arp,nd For soI;o comics of tba eo,Iv adit;on
or tbe first edition Of ssPiIgrin,,s PROGRESS y
nrinted in i67s, of which no conv had been
,l;ecovereJ when southav wrote his 9T ,ife ~
Runvan y there are two comics now known n
be IN e1;stence Ono ;s IN the library Of M
Haifo,,d IN C;Io,,castrrsbire ENGLAND and tJ,a
other - IN II tbe Tanor coIacion IN Nv w Worl, %
,rhras % vea,,s aa aftsy. ,be fi,rt London adition
thara was an Ausr;csn ad;tion The Iost
H. ~ tLo t;t,a ,,a,o. po-+o,, =, No,